Article of manufacture



Nov. '24, 1970 J cHApus 3,541,620

ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE Filed Sept. 5, 1967 INVENTOR Jocq uu CHAPUES A TTDR NE Y Unted States Patent O 3 ARTICLE MANUFACTURE Jacques Chapuis, C.P. 2, Hemmingford, Quebec, Canada Int. c. A w 13/09 U.S. Cl. -343 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fabric for use in making sleeping bags which includes an outer waterproof layer, an inner layer of soft wearable material and'an insulating insert between the two layers.

The insulating insert includes a thin ply of polyurethane material adhered to a thin ply of polystyrene material.

This invention relates to an article of manufacture such as blankets, sleeping bags, articles of clothing and the like. This invention more specifically relates to an insulated article of manufacture having heat retaining means to isolate a heat generating body against the cold.

In most present day sleeping bags a waterproof fabric, such as nylon or the like, is used as the outer skin and a soft comfortable fabric such as wool is provided for the inner layer. In between these two layers an insulating material is used such as eider down 'which has been found to be most effective. However, such sleeping bags, although very comfortable, are relatively heavy and usually diificult to pack because of their looseness--much of the Volume being occupied by air.

'In recent years, certain developments have been made to overcome the above disadvantages. For instance, in U.S. Pat. 2, 625,695, it has been proposed to make sleeping bags out of paper. Such a sleeping bag overcomes the above disadvantages, but it is easily torn or otherwise susceptible to damage. This is a serious disadvantage When it is considered that sleeping bags are most used where resistance to such damage s important, as when used on rough terran and the like.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a fabric that retains body heat to a point practically unattainable hereinbefore without the use of an external source of heat, but `which is light, compart and also having a relatively high resstance to tearing and other damage, which is particularly suited for sleeping bags, Winter Clothing, blankets, and the like.

The fabric which is suitable for use as a sleeping bag in accordance with the present invention comprises a multi-ply article including a pair of structurally connected outer plies and at least a pair of inner plies sandwiched therebetween, each ply of said pair of outer plies comprising a cloth-like fabric material, one of said inner plies comprising a heat-insulating styrene polymer material and the other inner ply comprising a urethane polymer material.

Having thus generally described the nature of the rvention, it 'will now be described in more detail with specific reference being made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a sectional view along lines 1-1 of FIG. 2 of a fabric embodyng the characteristics of the invention;

FIG. 2 represents a front elevation view of a sleeping bag, partly opened, made from the fabric shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a sectional View along lines 3-3 of FIG. 4 of a different material, also embodyng the characteristics of the invention; and

FIG. 4 represents a front elevation view of a blanket 3,54l,620 Patented Nov. 24, 1970 With one corner turned over to show the underside thereof, made from the material shown in FIG. 3.

With specific reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, showing an embodiment of the invention, namely a sleeping bag, a sheet of polyurethane foam 2 is illustrated as *being laminated with an adhesive 5 to a sheet of polystyrene foam 1 previously pressed. The sheet of pressed polystyrene foam is obtained by crushing ordinary polystyrene foam between heavy rollers. The pressure on the rollers should be sufcient to reduce the thickness of the foam by at least half its original thickness. In its unpressed, commercial state, the polystyrene is relatively thick and rigid. However, once it has been pressed, as in the present case, to /8 inch from its original thickness of %i inch, it is relatively flexible. The crushed polystyrene foam is then laminated to the polyurethane. A preferred adhesive for this purpose is one by Swift Co. sold as adhesive Z-715 6. However, generally, a large number of adhesives are available for this purpose, mostly adhesives obtained from vinyl resins and preferably polyvinyl acetate or modified polyvinyl acetate base adhesives.

Preferably, the adhesive is applied to both adjoining surfaces which are then lightly pressed together.

The thus laminated polyurethane-pressed polystyrene is then covered on the surface which will ultimately be subjected to the atmosphere 'with a synthetic material such as nylon, polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride plastic and is covered on the surface that is intended to come in contact with the user with an acceptable material 3 such as rayon, cotton, wool or synthetic fiber material. Preferably, the layer of polystyrene is adjacent the layer 3. The composite material is then subjected to finishing. This can be done, for example, by securing together upper layer 3 and lower layer 4 at all sides by means of finishing tape 6 held to these two layers by stitching 7. Layers 1 and 2 can be, but need not be, stitched through. As will be understood by persons skilled in the art, it is also possible but not necessary to laminate layer 3 to the adjacent surface of the polyurethane foam layer 1 and it is also possible to laminate the plastic layer 4 to the adjacent surface of the polyurethane foam layer 2.

The resulting fabric is then made into a sleeping bag in the well known manner as shown in FIG. 2. In the sleeping bag shown in FIG. 2, the waterproof layer 4 can be referred to as the outer envelope while the layer 4 is the inner envelope.

The invention is also applicable to the manufacture of household blankets and this better illustrated with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein the two laminated layers of closed cell polyurethane foam and open cell pressed polystyrene foam are sandwiched between two layers which may be made of the same or different material acceptable for household use such as, for example, cotton, rayon, wool, silk, nylon and the like.

The resulting article is then edge stitched as shown at 7 by means of finishing tape 6. To obtain an even more stable article, it can also be quilted as shown generally by number 8 in FIG. 4.

Modifications can also be made to the aforedescribed article without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, instead of the sheet of polystyrene foam, one can use strips of polystyrene foam spaced from one another in accordance with the heat retention requirements of the article to be made. The strips can be adhesively Secured to the polyurethane as described. Also, a fine powdered or flaked polystyrene can be sprayed on to a previously processed laminated polyurethane layer. This process will give the same characteristic of heat retention requirements, -but will greatly improve the exi bility of the completed article.

It will be appreciated that either or both of the polyurethane and polystyrene foam layers can themselves consist of several such laye's, but are prefe'ably made of a single layer, each of an appropriate thckness.

I claim:

1. A sleeping bag comprising an outer envelope formed of durable waterproof material and having an open end and a closed end; an inner envelope of soft wearable material being coextensive within said outer envelope and attached to the outer envelope, an insulating material provided between said inner and outer envelope and being substantially coextensive therewith; the insulating material including at least a pair of plies wherein one of said plies is a compressed polystyrene being suitably flexble for use with the sleeping bag and the other ply is a urethane polymer material.

2. A sleeping bag as defined in claim 1 wherein the urethane polymer material is a polyurethane sheet and is bonded to the ply of polystyrene.

3. A sleeping bag as defined in claim 1 wherein the outer envelope is nylon and the inner envelope s a woollike fabrc and the envelopes are sewn together along their edge.

4. A fabric for use in insulated sleeping bag, blankets, Clothing and the like, comprising in combinaton:

a multi-ply assembly comprising at least a pair of outer plies structurally connected to intervening inner plies, the improvement in which said inner plies comprise juxtaposed thin layers of polyurethane foam and polystyrene,

said polystyrene being compressed beyond its initially manufactured thckness and being relatively soft and flexible, said polurethane foam comprising a vapor barrier,

one of the outer plies comprising a soft fabric providing comfort to the user,

the other outer ply comprising a moisture-impervious wear-resstant and weather resistant fabric.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 4 in which said inner plies are intimately and integrally bonded by an adhesive.

6. The structure as claimed in claim 4 in which one of said fabrics is a woven cloth. I

7. The structure as claimed in claim 6 in which said moisture-impervious outer ply comprises a synthetic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,217,621 10/1940 Katzner 5-334 3,287,750 11/1966 Jessup 5-355 3,242,508 3/1966 Smithson 5-334 3,334,363 8/1967 Lutz 5--343 FOREIGN PATENTS 473,604 2/1926 Germany.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

